Bike Collectives Doing Advocacy Work
Hey All, Community Cycles in Boulder has recently decided to take on an advocacy role in addition to our shop activities. We will now speak on behalf of the cycling community to the Transportation Advisory Board, City Council and other decision makers who influence infrastructure, policy and cyclists rights.
I'm sure there are other shops out there doing advocacy work as well.
We'd like to hear your stories of success and/or failure.
This might be a good topic for a Bike Bike session next year.
Peace
I am interested in this discussion too. Our group, BICAS, does not explicitly do advocacy (though it depends what you mean by that -- we have robust programs for "disadvantaged youth" and so forth and maybe the folks doing that work would consider it advocacy) but I think we come pretty close, and of course individually we are all advocacy-minded. My law practice is about fifty-percent bike advocacy.
But it is hard to take too critical a stance as an organization when you have strong connections with local governments that are fruitful in accomplishing your main mission. BICAS does a lot with the City of Tucson and those relationships are important to us, even though most individual cyclists here pretty much cannot stand the general city-cyclist relationship.
I should say that although I am on the BICAS collective, I am not an employee there and I am not the best source of information about BICAS and its programs, but the advocacy question is one I have grappled with considerably and I am interested to hear how it has panned out with other bike collectives.
Erik B. Ryberg Attorney at Law 445 W. Simpson Street Tucson, AZ 85701 (520) 622-3333 email: ryberg@seanet.com website: tucsonbikelawyer.com
Rich Points wrote:
Hey All, Community Cycles in Boulder has recently decided to take on an advocacy role in addition to our shop activities. We will now speak on behalf of the cycling community to the Transportation Advisory Board, City Council and other decision makers who influence infrastructure, policy and cyclists rights.
I'm sure there are other shops out there doing advocacy work as well.
We'd like to hear your stories of success and/or failure.This might be a good topic for a Bike Bike session next year.
Peace
here's our path:
'96: free cycles forms to advance community cycling 2000: missoula institute for sustainable transportation forms to address safe and accessible cycling, clean air, equity, street design, etc.
2003: free cycles brought under mist umbrella
2007: works well; free cycles does the 'non-political' restore/teach bike stuff, mist does the 'in the trenches research, design and advocacy' work.
in essence, we have many overlapping circles of people doing related yet distinct work.
i think there is no magic formula, only organically growing circles of people and organization(s)
i also think we have reached a collective awareness of sustainability/bicycle issues that the same people working on 'non-political' community bike programs (these programs are actually very political and effective in a quiet way), can be very direct about the need for bicycle friendly infrastructures.
mist was able to help get a road diet in place last year, which made many people angry (and many people very happy). the 4-lane to 3-lane conversion is working great, for bikes, walkers, and even motor vehicles (slow and smooth car flow).
a new group just formed here, with different circles of people: the bike walk alliance for missoula.
here is why mist and free cycles are under one umbrella: the experiences, excitement, trials and errors of the community bike shop help inform mist as to what people desire and practice with regards to cycling; conversely, the research, design and collaboration of a larger sustainable transportation movement helps guide what projects to undertake with the mountains of bicycles and people energy that flow into the shop every day.
-bob giordano
Hey All, I'm curious how various shops check their bikes before they are sold, earned, given away or distributed in any other way. Here at Community Cycles we are very informal way of doing it. One of the shops at Bike Bike said they have one person who only purpose is to give the bikes a final check before they go out. I've heard of a bike shop in town that has a 70 point inspection before a bike goes out but have never seen it. We have one here that we've used with kids program but I can't seem to find a copy right now.
Anyway, if you have a document or guidelines that your shop uses we'd love to see them.
Please pass anything you have along.
Thanks
Rich Community Cycles Boulder
Hey Rich,Rafael from Bike Against! in Fort Collins,i'll tell you all about our "safety inspection process" when i see you @ your film fest. that's on the 7th right ? Anyway. Talk to you soon. -Rafael C.
On 8/31/07, Rich Points rich@richpoints.com wrote:
Hey All, I'm curious how various shops check their bikes before they are sold, earned, given away or distributed in any other way. Here at Community Cycles we are very informal way of doing it. One of the shops at Bike Bike said they have one person who only purpose is to give the bikes a final check before they go out. I've heard of a bike shop in town that has a 70 point inspection before a bike goes out but have never seen it. We have one here that we've used with kids program but I can't seem to find a copy right now.
Anyway, if you have a document or guidelines that your shop uses we'd love to see them.
Please pass anything you have along.
Thanks
Rich Community Cycles Boulder _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Hey All--
Was Bikes not Bombs the first community bike program established in the US?
Thanks, Anthony Siracusa Revolutions Community Bicycle Shop Memphis, TN
here's our path:
'96: free cycles forms to advance community cycling 2000: missoula institute for sustainable transportation forms to address safe and accessible cycling, clean air, equity, street design, etc.
2003: free cycles brought under mist umbrella
2007: works well; free cycles does the 'non-political' restore/teach bike stuff, mist does the 'in the trenches research, design and advocacy' work.
in essence, we have many overlapping circles of people doing related yet distinct work.
i think there is no magic formula, only organically growing circles of people and organization(s)
i also think we have reached a collective awareness of sustainability/bicycle issues that the same people working on 'non-political' community bike programs (these programs are actually very political and effective in a quiet way), can be very direct about the need for bicycle friendly infrastructures.
mist was able to help get a road diet in place last year, which made many people angry (and many people very happy). the 4-lane to 3-lane conversion is working great, for bikes, walkers, and even motor vehicles (slow and smooth car flow).
a new group just formed here, with different circles of people: the bike walk alliance for missoula.
here is why mist and free cycles are under one umbrella: the experiences, excitement, trials and errors of the community bike shop help inform mist as to what people desire and practice with regards to cycling; conversely, the research, design and collaboration of a larger sustainable transportation movement helps guide what projects to undertake with the mountains of bicycles and people energy that flow into the shop every day.
-bob giordano
-- Free Cycles Missoula (program of... Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation www.strans.org, mist@strans.org, 406.880.6834
Erik Ryberg said:
I am interested in this discussion too. Our group, BICAS, does not
explicitly do advocacy (though it depends what you mean by that -- we have robust programs for "disadvantaged youth" and so forth and maybe the folks doing that work would consider it advocacy) but I think we come pretty close, and of course individually we are all
advocacy-minded.
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Please define
community bike program
Jan
Anthony Siracusa wrote:
Hey All--
Was Bikes not Bombs the first community bike program established in the US?
Thanks, Anthony Siracusa Revolutions Community Bicycle Shop Memphis, TN
here's our path:
'96: free cycles forms to advance community cycling 2000: missoula institute for sustainable transportation forms to address safe and accessible cycling, clean air, equity, street design, etc.
2003: free cycles brought under mist umbrella
2007: works well; free cycles does the 'non-political' restore/teach bike stuff, mist does the 'in the trenches research, design and advocacy' work.
in essence, we have many overlapping circles of people doing related yet distinct work.
i think there is no magic formula, only organically growing circles of people and organization(s)
i also think we have reached a collective awareness of sustainability/bicycle issues that the same people working on 'non-political' community bike programs (these programs are actually very political and effective in a quiet way), can be very direct about the need for bicycle friendly infrastructures.
mist was able to help get a road diet in place last year, which made many people angry (and many people very happy). the 4-lane to 3-lane conversion is working great, for bikes, walkers, and even motor vehicles (slow and smooth car flow).
a new group just formed here, with different circles of people: the bike walk alliance for missoula.
here is why mist and free cycles are under one umbrella: the experiences, excitement, trials and errors of the community bike shop help inform mist as to what people desire and practice with regards to cycling; conversely, the research, design and collaboration of a larger sustainable transportation movement helps guide what projects to undertake with the mountains of bicycles and people energy that flow into the shop every day.
-bob giordano
-- Free Cycles Missoula (program of... Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation www.strans.org, mist@strans.org, 406.880.6834
Erik Ryberg said:
I am interested in this discussion too. Our group, BICAS, does not
explicitly do advocacy (though it depends what you mean by that -- we have robust programs for "disadvantaged youth" and so forth and maybe the folks doing that work would consider it advocacy) but I think we come pretty close, and of course individually we are all
advocacy-minded.
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Jan--
Well, I don't feel like much of an authority on the matter...My guess would be:
Community bike programs focus on empowering and educating communities using bicycles and bicycle parts. Bike recycling and earn-a-bike opportunities are common to such programs, and the development of a community of riders interested in furthering bike education and self-reliant community development are often the products of a community bike program's efforts.
I think I've been safely vague here--But in terms of BNB, I've never read of anyone anywhere recycling bikes for community members in an organized, programmatic way before the BNB folk started in 1984. Was anyone recycling bikes and working with youth to teach bike maintenance in a programmatic way before BNB?
Anthony Memphis, TN
Please define
community bike program
Jan
Anthony Siracusa wrote:
Hey All--
Was Bikes not Bombs the first community bike program established in the US?
Thanks, Anthony Siracusa Revolutions Community Bicycle Shop Memphis, TN
here's our path:
'96: free cycles forms to advance community cycling 2000: missoula institute for sustainable transportation forms to address safe and accessible cycling, clean air, equity, street design, etc.
2003: free cycles brought under mist umbrella
2007: works well; free cycles does the 'non-political' restore/teach bike stuff, mist does the 'in the trenches research, design and advocacy' work.
in essence, we have many overlapping circles of people doing related yet distinct work.
i think there is no magic formula, only organically growing circles of people and organization(s)
i also think we have reached a collective awareness of sustainability/bicycle issues that the same people working on 'non-political' community bike programs (these programs are actually very political and effective in a quiet way), can be very direct about the need for bicycle friendly infrastructures.
mist was able to help get a road diet in place last year, which made many people angry (and many people very happy). the 4-lane to 3-lane conversion is working great, for bikes, walkers, and even motor vehicles (slow and smooth car flow).
a new group just formed here, with different circles of people: the bike walk alliance for missoula.
here is why mist and free cycles are under one umbrella: the experiences, excitement, trials and errors of the community bike shop help inform mist as to what people desire and practice with regards to cycling; conversely, the research, design and collaboration of a larger sustainable transportation movement helps guide what projects to undertake with the mountains of bicycles and people energy that flow into the shop every day.
-bob giordano
-- Free Cycles Missoula (program of... Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation www.strans.org, mist@strans.org, 406.880.6834
Erik Ryberg said:
I am interested in this discussion too. Our group, BICAS, does not
explicitly do advocacy (though it depends what you mean by that -- we have robust programs for "disadvantaged youth" and so forth and maybe the folks doing that work would consider it advocacy) but I think we come pretty close, and of course individually we are all
advocacy-minded.
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
participants (6)
-
Anthony Siracusa -
bike against -
Bob Giordano -
Erik Ryberg -
Jan VanderTuin -
Rich Points